Below is some genealogy information and websites about the history and social geography of Bradford.

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Description: Located in West Yorkshire, Bradford was traditionally part of the West Riding of Yorkshire. Bradford boomed during the industrial revolution, specialising in the textiles industry, especially wool. In 1774 they were connected to the Leeds and Liverpool canal. In 1800 Bradford's population was just 16,000 with cottage-industry spinning and weaving being the main employer. In the following years, importation of wool in combination with soft water and access to plenty of coal led to the mass-production of worsted wool. Examples of this are the famous Salts Mills or Lister's Mill. The local stone, sandstone, was used to build the mills. In 1846 Bradford was connected to the rail network. By 1850 Bradford's population has hit 182,000. Pollution was a problem with over 200 factory chimneys in the city. Life expectancy was only 18 years of age! Other employment such as the motor industry and also supermarkets (Morrison's was founded in 1899) also flourished

Websites:

• Genuki: Bradford.
• Bradford Family History Society.
• Bradford Industrial Museum.
• Bradford Local Studies Library.
• West Yorkshire Archive Service: Bradford Branch.

Reading Materials:

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